Alexandrina Najmowicz
About Alexandrina
Alexandrina’s principal missions are to ensure the coordination of statutory activities and to implement the work plan adopted by the Board of directors and approved by the general assembly. She is also in charge of the network’s communication and the follow-up of institutional relations.
Giada Negri
About Giada
Giada is a young Italian activist who joined the ECF team in 2017 as a trainee.
Since then, she has led the work on civic space to create spaces for dialogue and opportunities for influence between civil society, institutions and academics, to empower activists across Europe and leverage European pressure on illiberal moves by national authorities.
She also brings her interests and knowledge to work on issues of sustainability, resilience of civil society and culture of care.
João Labrincha
About João
João is a human rights, climate justice, and queer-feminist activist who founded a movement that filled the streets of Portugal with half a million people protesting against precarious work, the “Protesto da Geração à Rasca” (Distressed Generation Protest). João holds a BA degree in International Relations from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Coimbra. He is the founder and board member of the Academia Cidadã – Citizenship Academy. He has worked at Amnesty International, at GEOTA (the second oldest environmental association in Portugal), and at GAT, an NGO for sexual health and psychosocial support for LGBT+ people, migrants, people who use drugs, and homeless people.
Aarti Narsee
About Aarti
Aarti holds a Master’s in Gender, Policy and Inequalities from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE). In her previous role as a civic space research officer at CIVICUS, she monitored civic space in Europe and Central Asia. Through her intersectional feminist approach, she provides commentary on the intersections between gender rights and civic space. As a former journalist and avid storyteller, Aarti has written extensively about gender, LGBTQI+ and human rights.
Benjamin Goodwin
About Benjamin
Benjamin’s background is in communication, journalism, and political science. He has a BA in Politics & East European Studies from University College London and an MSc in Political Science from the Free University of Brussels. Benjamin joined ECF in September 2022 and works across all our communications – from social media to publications to our Civic Spaces podcast. He has an interest in environmentalism and human rights.
Kerttu Willamo
About Kerttu
Kerttu’s background is in human rights advocacy and social movements. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Master’s in Gender and Minority Studies from the University of Helsinki. Kerttu is coordinating ECF’s projects on civic space monitoring and the protection of civic actors and human rights defenders. She also works on advocacy and capacity building, focusing on digital rights and the intersection between civic space and technology. She has been active in human rights and environmental movements in Finland and continues calling for systems change, equal rights and climate justice in the vibrant activist communities in Brussels.
Hana Jemli
About Hana
Hana has a background in projects, fundraising and humanitarian organisation. She has worked with civil society in the MENA region on the topics of human rights and SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression) and with service providers organisations focusing on EU funded projects. Hana is ECF’s office manager, overseeing the coordination for reporting of projects and grants and carrying out the general administration and operation of the organisation.
Agapi Antonaki
About Agapi
Agapi’s background is in law, human rights advocacy, and gender rights. She holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of Athens and a Master’s in Human Rights and Democratisation from the Global Campus of Human Rights. She has participated in learning mobility projects and seminars on various human rights issues, focusing on gender equality, GBV, social rights and the protection of the environment. As an activist for the Gender Network of Amnesty International, she has organised campaigns on LGBTQIA+ rights and gender-inclusive language. Agapi joined ECF in 2024 as a trainee and is monitoring issues linked to civic space and democracy, supporting the ECF’s research and advocacy towards European institutions.
Iñaki Arrizabalaga
About Iñaki
Iñaki has a background in social justice movements and communications. They hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Development Studies from SOAS, University of London. A member of queer and migrant activist movements both in the UK and Spain with a focus on trans and nonbinary advocacy, Iñaki joined ECF in 2024 as a trainee and aids in the generation of ECF’s communications content and narrative-building, and mapping linked to the protection work for human rights defenders and civic space monitoring.